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0 GODBREAKERS is a 3rd Person action roguelite by developer To The Sky. This single to four-player co-op adventure is their debut game with publishing from Thunderful Publishing (Steamworld Heist II, Viewfinder). It is now available on PC via the Steam and Epic Games stores, as well as on PlayStation 5.
Oh, the Humanity! Or Lack Thereof in GODBREAKERS
I had to check out GODBREAKERS because I seem to really enjoy roguelite mechanics. It’s also pretty shiny. Add to that an interesting bit of story and the hooks were set.
The more I play the game, the more I appreciate different parts of it. Let me know if you’ve ever found yourself thinking the same of a different game each time you play. For now, check out my thoughts on this new release below.
Gameplay
GODBREAKERS is a fast-paced, 3rd person action roguelite set in a future where autonomous, intelligent life is the only remnant of humanity. As a creation of a collective of celestial beings known as the Coven, you are sent on a mission to destroy that creation—the Monad. Over time, the Monad has been consuming every component of life in our solar system. But now the sun begins to dim. The Coven asks that you save it.
Though the lore and main story in many roguelites can be a bit lacklustre, the story in GODBREAKERS kept me playing. This game combines a great story with solid, fast, and fluid gameplay mechanics, including a core loop that doesn’t feel repetitive. Each run thus far has been as enjoyable, or more, than the last. The core mechanics are also straightforward and easy to focus and pick up on as needed, rather than having everything coming at you all at once. I’ll go into a little more detail on some highlights that stood out to me most.
Core Game Loop
The core game loop of GODBREAKERS isn’t trying to re-invent the wheel. It’s as simple as move into a room, kill the things, loot, eventually die, and repeat. Then you start over and add some new buffs. Nothing you have to overthink. Now you’re free to contemplate just how conceivable the story is while analysing that boss’s every move. Thankfully, the moves are fairly easy to understand and learn to avoid. If you have the opportunity to focus on them at least. Here, I didn’t feel like I was defeating bosses without any clue of the actual mechanics. It was also easy to understand and use the game’s namesake ability.
Most loot per run is for use during that run, either as a piece of equipment or a fragment. However, components to use toward restoring echoes (run buffs) can be found on bosses. The more investment in these echoes, the easier runs will become. Again, simple and straightforward roguelite mechanics that help keep you coming back for more. GODBREAKERS is an amazing example of keeping things simple but making those simple things great.
Equipment
There are a couple of things to note with equipment in GODBREAKERS. Firstly, there are unlockable cosmetic components that are separate from equipment and fragments. These are only for cosmetic purposes and do not influence your build. It also appears you can pick up some as DLC if you find those to your fancy. Secondly, the equipment you loot during runs each has their own unique appearance and aesthetic, reflective of the perks they offer.
Finding equipment/fragments seems to be on a random loot table, with available upgrades appearing at the vendor before each boss. I’m still spending most of my dust on healing coils. My gear will be better once I’m solid with mechanics and can switch to spending it on upgrades. There’s also an echo unlock to provide a random starting piece as well.
Archetypes
GODBREAKERS currently features six unlockable archetypes, or classes. Each has its own weapon type and abilities, built to suit a variety of playstyles. Testing all but the striker archetype, as I only just unlocked it, each had its own feel and what felt like a role it could fulfil in a co-op run. There is only one that I really felt suffers in single player model, but I’ll let you explore that for yourself. I found myself primarily playing around with the twin blade, lancer, and dualist. Each has its own particular style, but is just as fun to play.
Each archetype also has three abilities that can be unlocked via challenges. So essentially, with everything unlocked, there are a total of 18 unique builds. That’s not to say that more couldn’t be added later. The UI certainly suggests as much… But yes, for now, that is quite the variety of builds to try out to find which is your favourite overall.
Graphics & Audio
Though GODBREAKERS is launching as a Verified for Steam Deck title, I found that this one I was more comfortable with on my PC. It seems like more of a perspective thing than anything else. I did confirm that the game runs great on the Deck with default settings, it just didn’t suit me. Instead, I was content with default settings at 2K resolution on my tower. The 3D art style and vibrant colour palette make for an exciting environment, and character and mob models too.
I’ll also mention here that the camera and character control is so smooth. Truly, the ability to control your character while also not having to fight with the camera going wonky is amazing. Additionally, the ability to shift between target lock on and off is so easy to utilize, I wish every game was this way!
The music tracks in GODBREAKERS are absolutely outstanding. I was taken aback at the sudden shift in music from light to heavy strings as I began a boss fight. Most notable is that I didn’t even hear when the tracks shifted. They seamlessly blend for an ambient feeling that provides encouragement to focus on the task at hand. The different character’s voices also add an extra layer of flavour and uniqueness to each fight.
Longevity
The longevity of GODBREAKERS depends on how much you want to invest into unlocking everything. I suppose it will also depend on what future content, if any, is planned for the game moving forward. For me, I’d at least like to complete the story, as that is what piques my interest. I’m sure naturally I’ll unlock a fair amount of everything else through my failures too. But I could easily see the game being 50+ hours without realizing it.
Final Thoughts
GODBREAKERS is hands-down one of the best games I’ve had the pleasure of playing this year. It embraces the core genre mechanics without succumbing to the pitfall of a monotonous game loop. Quests that play alongside the story for things as simple as different cosmetics and abilities provide ample objective-driven gameplay. With its own namesake ability system, and not another character spewing bullets/abilities everywhere, this beautiful addition to the roguelite cabinet deserves the Thumb Culture Platinum Award. Be sure to check it out for yourselves!
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
If you enjoy this review, check out my other reviews here.
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